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“So nice to see chivalry is alive and well at the Lucky Lady Lodge.” She looked up at him with her brown-black eyes and smiling lips. Her entire countenance was one of welcoming and belonging.
That wall of indifference around his heart took a hard hit.
Using the serving fork on the platter, she cut off a piece of the pork tenderloin, turned toward Grimm and popped it into his mouth.
He’d thought the chicken bites had been heaven on earth. The pork tenderloin was… He chewed slowly, savoring the celebration on his taste buds. When he swallowed, he heaved a sigh.
Cassie laughed. “Well? What’s the verdict?”
He shook his head. “I never thought I’d say this word in mixed company, but I have to describe the pork tenderloin as orgasmic.”
His teammates, Cassie, Molly and Parker, laughed, and the dinner continued in earnest. Platters of food continued around the table until everyone’s plate was full of the delicious meats and vegetables Dezi had prepared.
Molly and the guys talked about their progress on the demolition. Reconstruction would begin soon on the damaged areas. In the meantime, the lodge was still open for business.
“We had a group of eleven men check-in today,” Molly said. “They’re here for the annual walleye fishing tournament.”
“They know we’re working on other portions of the building?” Drake asked.
Molly gave a crooked grin. “We warned them. They weren’t deterred. They’ve been coming to the Lucky Lady Lodge for the past twenty years. They weren’t going to let a little explosion break tradition.”
“I get that.” Parker nodded. “And it works out well because they’ll be out fishing during the day, so the noise won’t be an issue.”
“We should be done with the demolition by the end of the week,” Drake said.
“Good.” Parker reached for a dinner roll. “I have lumber and drywall scheduled to be delivered the following Monday. We can get started on the reconstruction.”
“Enough talk about work,” Molly said. “What does everyone think about our new chef?”
“I think she deserves a standing ovation, but I’m too full of good food to get out of my chair,” Cassie said, patting her stomach. “Thank you, Dezi, for a gastronomical delight. We’re so glad you decided to come home to Eagle Rock.” She led them in a round of applause.
Dezi’s cheeks flushed a pretty pink. “Thank you. I hope I do this place justice.”
“I think you’ll bring in additional guests once they hear how good the food is here,” Molly said. “And to think, we knew you before you became a famous chef.” She winked.
Dezi shook her head. “I’m not a famous chef.”
“You will be once word gets out about those chicken bombs,” Grimm said.
“Cassie tells me you’re from Eagle Rock,” Drake said.
Dezi nodded. “I grew up here.”
“There were six of us girls who hung out together, rode horses and raised some hell,” Molly said. “Dezi was always making sure we had good food on picnics and snacks on road trips.”
Cassie smiled. “None of us were surprised when she went to culinary school. We all bet she’d teach the teachers a thing or two about chuck wagon fare.”
Dezi rolled her eyes. “I did a special project on how to cook just about anything in a Dutch oven over an open fire.” She shrugged. “The other students weren’t that impressed, but the instructors were curious. I got good marks for my presentation and cuisine.”
“Did your group of friends all end up back in Eagle Rock?” Shawn Murdock asked. “Eagle Rock is pretty small; I wouldn’t think there are a lot of job opportunities for young people?”
Cassie, Molly and Dezi exchanged glances, making Grimm wonder what silent message they shared.
“Most of us came back,” Molly nodded toward Cassie. “Cassie works with the Sheriff’s Department as a deputy sheriff.” She nodded toward Dezi. “You’ve all experienced Dezi’s magic as a chef. We’re fortunate to have her as the Lucky Lady Lodge’s number one chef.”
With a soft snort, Dezi corrected, “Onlychef.”
“You’re all we need,” Molly said. “Until the construction is complete and we get busier.”
